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Hi! I'm 36 years old and have been living with Fibromyalgia and an array of other conditions for YEARS. I was doing great and had not had a significant......knock down...kick my butt........kind of a flare for a good while............until two weeks ago when I fractured my ankle. The thing I hate most about this condition is how unpredictable it can be. I was doing so well and then BOOM the flares are back and I have been so miserable for two weeks now. I head back to my rheumotologist in aweek for a check in. I've been pretty passive this last year about my conditon ........since I was doing pretty well. I now realize that I need a better plan for when I have flares. I moved almost a year ago and have only seen this rheumatologist a few times and this is the first significant flare I've had since I moved here. I want to develop a more aggressive strategy to help me deal with flares. What suggestions do you guys have? I'd like to get my vitamin levels checked. I'd also like to switch from Prozac to Cymbalta to see if that helps. I'd also like suggestions on how to help my co-workers understand what I'm going through when I have a flare. FYI.......I work at a Physical Therapy office and I'm shocked at how clueless they all are about Fibromyalgia!

Thanks!

Thanks for your Reply!

6 Replies |Watch This Discussion | Report This| Share this:I'm new to the group...........Hello Everyone!Hi! I'm 36 years old and have been living with Fibromyalgia and an array of other conditions for YEARS. I was doing great and had not had a significant......knock down...kick my butt........kind of a flare for a good while............until two weeks ago when I fractured my ankle. The thing I hate most about this condition is how unpredictable it can be. I was doing so well and then BOOM the flares are back and I have been so miserable for two weeks now. I head back to my rheumotologist in aweek for a check in. I've been pretty passive this last year about my conditon ........since I was doing pretty well. I now realize that I need a better plan for when I have flares. I moved almost a year ago and have only seen this rheumatologist a few times and this is the first significant flare I've had since I moved here. I want to develop a more aggressive strategy to help me deal with flares. What suggestions do you guys have? I'd like to get my vitamin levels checked. I'd also like to switch from Prozac to Cymbalta to see if that helps. I'd also like suggestions on how to help my co-workers understand what I'm going through when I have a flare. FYI.......I work at a Physical Therapy office and I'm shocked at how clueless they all are about Fibromyalgia!

I've been on Cymbalta a few months now. It does help with my leg pain but it's not great for depression. You would have to be weened of Prozac first to take it. As for co-workers understanding that is VERY difficult. I found no one understood. They just don't get it. I've been living with FM for 18 years and in 1995 I hadn't heard about it. As for co-workers....they did not understand. I would expect that in a Physical Therapy office they would. I stopped saying I had FM and said I had chronic pain. It was just easier all around. I had doctors saying I had FM, chronic pain syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. Keep moving.....don't give up. Exercise and do get your B12, iron, etc. checked. Take care of yourself first.

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Report This| Share this:I'm new to the group...........Hello Everyone!I've been on Cymbalta a few months now. It does help with my leg pain but it's not great for depression. You would have to be weened of Prozac first to take it. As for co-workers understanding that is VERY difficult. I found no one understood. They just don't get it. I've been living with FM for 18 years and in 1995 I hadn't heard about it. As for co-workers....they did not understand. I would expect that in a Physical Therapy office they would. I stopped saying I had FM and said I had chronic pain. It was just easier all around. I had doctors saying I had FM, chronic pain syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome. Keep moving.....don't give up. Exercise and do get your B12, iron, etc. checked. Take care of yourself first.

There is a connection with low vit D and increased pain, so I would get that checked too.

One thing I rely on is a muscle relaxer at night, especially for flares. Another thing that helps my pain is Tramadol. If you have trouble sleeping, then you might request help in that area too.

Good luck at the rheumy. It is so good you have one to see. As for the co-workers, the less shared might be the better. Healthy people have a hard time understanding and are quick to think we are complainers. It's so hard not to complain!

There is a connection with low vit D and increased pain, so I would get that checked too.

One thing I rely on is a muscle relaxer at night, especially for flares. Another thing that helps my pain is Tramadol. If you have trouble sleeping, then you might request help in that area too.

Good luck at the rheumy. It is so good you have one to see. As for the co-workers, the less shared might be the better. Healthy people have a hard time understanding and are quick to think we are complainers. It's so hard not to complain!

Oh yeah I can see this being a trigger for problems. Sitting with your leg up and nursing that foot would get the other muscles jealous*.....Ha! We cannot sit still for a length of time. It gets you stiffer and in more pain.

The the round robin effect of low spirit and frustration occurs. CRAP, it is tough.

I also use a muscle relaxant (soma) is my choice and I use tramadol for pain. Be careful with tramadol and antidepressants as they both raise the seratonin level (our happy chemical).

Maybe at this point you can have your leg outside the shower and bathe yourself in hot water and stretch....use heating pads to warm the other muscle that hurt and capsacian creams and massage for sore spots.

I have to say, when in this spot you will be walking different and stressing your gait to a different pitch and that will bother the core muscles you normally use when you are feeling well.

Tough spot.....talk to that dac well, bring a list with you. Discuss the areas bothering you the most. Maybe a massage in a chair would help you too. I never use a table for massage as gravity is my friend**. The therapist doesn't like it, but it is about MY body!

Good luck and welcome to the fmily though it is sad you need to be here . I know it is a great group and no one will understand you like we understand eachother.

Oh yeah I can see this being a trigger for problems. Sitting with your leg up and nursing that foot would get the other muscles jealous*.....Ha! We cannot sit still for a length of time. It gets you stiffer and in more pain.

The the round robin effect of low spirit and frustration occurs. CRAP, it is tough.

I also use a muscle relaxant (soma) is my choice and I use tramadol for pain. Be careful with tramadol and antidepressants as they both raise the seratonin level (our happy chemical).

Maybe at this point you can have your leg outside the shower and bathe yourself in hot water and stretch....use heating pads to warm the other muscle that hurt and capsacian creams and massage for sore spots.

I have to say, when in this spot you will be walking different and stressing your gait to a different pitch and that will bother the core muscles you normally use when you are feeling well.

Tough spot.....talk to that dac well, bring a list with you. Discuss the areas bothering you the most. Maybe a massage in a chair would help you too. I never use a table for massage as gravity is my friend**. The therapist doesn't like it, but it is about MY body!

Good luck and welcome to the fmily though it is sad you need to be here . I know it is a great group and no one will understand you like we understand eachother.

Thanks for the response and the suggestions! It took me a long time to realize that I really do need the support of other Fibromyalgia sufferers. It's so great to have people to talk about this stuff with that actually understand.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:I'm new to the group...........Hello Everyone!Thanks for the response and the suggestions! It took me a long time to realize that I really do need the support of other Fibromyalgia sufferers. It's so great to have people to talk about this stuff with that actually understand.

Thanks for the tips. It's such a relief to have other people to talk about this stuff with. I have a great support system, but I know my friends and family can't understand what I'm going through and after a while it's gotta just sound like whining and complaining.........especially cause on the outside I look healthy even though I'm not.

Thanks for your Reply!

Report This| Share this:I'm new to the group...........Hello Everyone!Thanks for the tips. It's such a relief to have other people to talk about this stuff with. I have a great support system, but I know my friends and family can't understand what I'm going through and after a while it's gotta just sound like whining and complaining.........especially cause on the outside I look healthy even though I'm not.

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